Hook conveyer



July 15, 1947. c. ROUSSEAU 2,424,055

HOOK CONVEYER Filed July 20, 1944 2 Sheds-Sheet l 1 131.1 Fly. 2

A %A/}A% /A //A /@[%A4 f 9 I By. 4

g ff

Inventor v ceaude Rousseau July 15, 1947. v c, ROUSSEAU 2,424,055

HOOK CONVEYER v Filed July 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 35 34 c auae Rousseau Patented July 15, 1947 t.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOOK CONVEYER Claude Rousseau, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada Application July 20, 1944, Serial No. 545,764 1 Claim. (01. res-17v) My invention relates to improvements in conveyors in which the material to be transported is suspended from devices rolling on an overhead track.

The object of my invention is: first, to provide a track or race of tubular construction and a continuous flow of unconnected balls rolling inside the track and pushed along by a driving mechanism, with interposed ball-like units provided with supporting hooks, and second, to provide means for switching the transported material from one track section to another.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the tubular track,

Figure 2 is a perpendicular section of said track,

Figure 3 is a transverse section of a ball-like unit with hook attachment,

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan of the driving mechanism,

Figure 5 is a plan of the switch,

Figure 6 shows one of the devices used to prevent loalls from falling off the idle part of the conveyor,

Figure '7 shows a device used to make and break the necessary electric contacts,

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan of track layout with switches set to serve a certain section of the layout,

Figur 9 is a similar plan with switches set to serve another section of the conveyor,

Figure 10 is a diagram of the electrical connections interlocking corresponding switches.

Similar numerals refer to similar part throughout the several views.

The track suspended to the ceiling or from brackets affixed to walls or columns is made of a metallic tube I having underneath a slot 4 through which pass the hooks 5 supported by the ball-like units 3. Balls 2 are inserted between said ball-like units to provide a convenient distance between the pieces of material suspended from hooks 5 (Figures 1 and 2).

Each hook 5 has a shank which travels hi the slot and is provided at its upper end with a disklike hearing portion which engages and suspends the shank and hook from a shaft 1 around which turn two segments of sphere 6 (Figure 3). The hook having a rectangular section cannot turn in the slot 4 and the two segments of sphere act as wheels in the tubular track.

The driving mechanism is shown diagrammatically in Figure 4. It consists of two opposed horizontal wheels 8 passing through openings in the side of the tubular track and having peripheric circular indentations 9 corresponding in size with the balls 2 and units 3. Said wheels are driven at a convenient speed by a mechanism not shown on the figure and consisting of an electric 2 motor and suitable gearing. Said indentations engage and propel the balls through the tubular track.

The switching mechanism is shown in Figure 5 in a position to connect section A of the conveyor with section B of said conveyor, section C being idle. Tracks H], H and I2 are stationary and tracks l3 and M are sections of track attached to a plate [5, said plate [5 sliding or rolling on a fixed frame (not shown) to permit changing the flow of :balls from section B to section C or vice versa.

A guard plate l6 supported by a collar l'l fixed on track -I 0 and having an opening corresponding to the section of track ID prevents the balls from falling off movable track M in the illustrated position and off movable track [3 when the switch is in the other position. Plate I8 is a plain obturator supported by collars I9 and 20 on movable track-s l3 and 14 respectively and preventing balls from falling off track l2 in the illustrated position and of track II when the switch is in the other position. A plain guard plate 2| secured on collar 22 on track H (as illustrated in Figure 6) prevents balls from dropping out of movable track l3 when the switch is in the other position and a plain plate guard secured on track [2 to collar 24 prevents balls from dropping out of movable section [4 in the position of the switch as illustrated.

When the switching is made, it is necessary to stop the flow of balls to prevent clogging and damage to the conveyor or to the driving mecha nism. This is obtained by means of electric switches or relays-attached to the fixed frame (not shown) supporting the mechanical switch, said electric switches being operated upon by a fingerlike device mounted on a convenient part of the movable part of the mechanical switch. In Figure 5 such a device 25 is secured on track M and operates on electric switch 26 in the position illustrated and on electric switch 21 in the other position. (See also Figure 7.) The current passes through only when the mechanical switch is in one of the two extreme positions and is cut when said mechanical switch is in motion. Another fingerlike device 28 acting on electric switch 29 may be added to control another driving mechanism placed on another section of the track; in this case on section C as the electric switch 29 will be operated only when the flow of balls passes in section 0.

In the diagram shown on Figure 8, the flow of balls passes from section A to section B, section C remaining idle. In the position diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 9, the flow of balls passes from section A to section C, section B being idle. The corresponding switches I5 and 30 must be operated at the same time and this may be obtained through a mechanical connec- 3 tion. But such a connection may be dimcult, complicated and cumbersome in a busy plant and I obtain the same result by interlocking the two mechanical switches electrically as shown in Fi ure 10 by placing the corresponding electric switches in series with the corresponding motor.

In the figures, 36 is the main supply of current,

the corresponding electric switches are respecspaced balls and depending through a slot in the tively 26 and 3|, 2! and 32 in series with the"? motor 34 prime mover of section A, and 29 and 33 in series with the motor 35 prime mover of section C. switches is not in its extreme position or if one In this way if one of the' conveyor of the conveyor switches is operated without the 5 corresponding one, the current is cut off and the conveyor is stopped.

In'order to permit the proper working of the switch, it is necessary that each section of track A, B and C and also the movable parts of the track'forming the switch have a length such that it will hold as nearly as possible an exact number ofba'lls.

I am aware that prior to my invention conveyors have been made of a tubularstructure. I therefore do not claim such a combination broady; but I; claim:

A conveyer including a tubular body of indeterminate length with the innersurface of true circular form, the body being formed with diametrically-opposed slots of materially less body, the hooks and slot being relatively formed to prevent turning movement of the hooks relative .to the body, and mechanical means extending through the diametrically-opposed slots in the body and'cooperating with the balls to ad- Vance the latter in the bore of the body.

CLAUDE ROUSSEAU. REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,138,880 McClure May 11, 1915 1,588,244 Libby June 8, 1926 2,264,549 P'ecker Dec. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number c Country Date 463,392 Great Britain' Mar. 30',v 1937 815,293 France v Apr. 5, 1937 

